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By applying Erich Fromm’s theory of alienation and psychological analysis, this thesis explores the idea of alienation and the cause of tragedy in Arthur Miller’s early plays, >All My Sons<, >Death of a Salesman<, and >A View from the Bridge<. The adoption of Erich Fromm’s theory of alienation is based on Miller’s concern with the phenomenon of alienation in American society. On the one hand, the thesis discusses how the symbiotic relationship between man and society is undermined by historical movement and as a consequence how it affects man’s idea of morality and sense of identity by reviewing the particular American history during the time of the Depression and the wars (particularly the Second World War and the Cold War). On the other hand, the thesis discusses how personal fantasy contributes to one’s destiny by making uncompromised commitment to private beliefs as a counterpart of reality.– First of all, the thesis reviews the historical events that shape American experiences of alienation. Economically, the Depression not only exemplifies that everyone is closely related with the society and other human beings, but also implies the illusion embedded in the American Dream. Economic development does not guarantee human beings freedom but conditions men in an alienated position because of its advocacy of liberalism and individualism. The perversion of work ethic, particularly, defines man and directs them to seek self-interest. Politically, the Second World War and the Cold War make man retreat into a world of containment, separating self from the other. Accordingly, in Arthur Miller’s dramatic world, characters attach more importance to family business and family welfare. Then the thesis discusses how human psyche is equal in importance in sealing one’s fate. Although the environment provides the physical basis for practice and action, personal fantasy has a life of its own and therefore becomes a scene for dramatic actions. The point is that neither social codes nor personal ideals ensure a secure sense of identity. In contrast, one-sided indulgence in psychological world alienates man further from society and others. Social sense of identity and personal sense of identity becomes oppositional. Finally, the thesis holds that Miller conveys a message of hope of reconciliation, i. e., man represented by secondary roles in the three plays have the strength and freedom to change the status quo.– This thesis differs from previous studies in the following aspects. First of all, this thesis does not limit the scope of alienation to economic and political field but extends to human psyche, revealing that both the private and the public contribute to Arthur Miller’s tragedy. Secondly, this thesis explores the symbiotic relationships between man and society, pointing out that socially individual experience is the shaping force of human history. In Arthur Miller’s plays, the major characters have certain fantasy with its own life that finally forms the circumference around which dramatic conflicts become possible. The transformational relationship between scene and agent vindicates the combining force of society and psychology to realize Miller’s tragedies. The thesis concludes that Miller indicates one possible way out from the present dilemma of alienation, a characteristic of Arthur Miller’s early period of writing, because the author shows strong faith in humanity by presenting the sympathetic, integral and forgiving secondary characters. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 4/2023]
In today’s society, sharing bicycle has rapidly penetrated into people’s social life and become a new way of travel because it solves the problem of >the last kilometer< for people to travel. With the share bicycle industry entering the second half of the competition, the industrial focus has returned from capital invest¬ment to product design. How to form a more user-friendly sharing bicycle interaction system and enhance user experience has become an important issue affecting the development of the share bicycle industry. At present, the research on shared bicycle human-computer interaction system is still in its infancy, mainly through regular user interviews and questionnaires. However, in traditional research, users can only describe their problems in the process of interaction sensitively, and may not be able to realize and express their deep needs. Therefore, it is very important to tap the deep needs of users in the interaction process and improve the user experience purposefully.– There are three main innovations in this paper: 1. Using innovative theoretical research methods, intro¬du¬cing psychological theory into design analysis, and based on Fromm psychology, we can get the charac¬teristic emotions of shared psychology. 2. Introducing emotional reporting method into experience evalu¬ation, and carrying out emotional quantification experiments based on the characteristic emotions of Fromm psychology. The experimental data analysis can accurately extract users’ deep interaction needs under the shared psychology. 3. Based on the deep interaction needs, the optimization design practice is finally com¬pleted. In the research process, based on the current research status of shared bicycle in academia, this study uses user interviews and other research methods to conduct in depth analysis and summary of the current shared bicycle interaction system; extracts characteristic emotions based on Fromm’s psychological theory, builds a reasonable emotional quantification experimental scheme and carries out experiments, processes and analyses the experimental data, and concludes that users are in common. In order to meet the deep demand of sharing bicycle interactive experience, the optimization design practice of new sharing bicycle interactive system is completed. The main achievements of this research include: under the gui¬dance of Fromm’s psychology theory, a method of extracting the require¬ments of shared bicycle human-computer interaction system design based on emotional quantification is proposed, and a new human-computer interaction experience model is established; a new process of deep demand mining for human-computer interaction system under shared psychology is formed; and the existing shared bicycle human-computer interaction interface is optimized. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 4/2023]
Biophilic design, based on humans’ innate connection to nature, evolved into a social movement over many decades. It emerged from Erich Fromm’s early use of the term biophilia to Edward Wilson’s book on Biophilia, the subsequent Biophilia Hypothesis book by Wilson and Stephen Kellert, to the multi-authored Biophilic Design publication in 2008. This progression involved meetings and discussions between people with a shared understanding of the human biological connection to nature and the need to bring nature back into urbanites daily lives. Their vision and passion led to the emergence of the social movement of biophilic design. The moral vision of bringing nature into city design reflects a shared understanding and collective goal beyond self-interest. There was a communal sense of the associated issues with cities which lack nature, such as disconnection from nature, urban heat island effect and water and air pollution, kindling a desire to initiate change.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and humanistic psychotherapy: an integrative approximation
(2019)
This article explores the similarities between humanistic (and existential) psychotherapy, represented here by the ideas of Viktor Frankl, Erich Fromm and Irvin Yalom, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Despite the ongoing dialogue between both therapies during the last decade, regarding both their convergences and divergences, there is a gap in the literature concerning their complementarity in clinical practice. This analysis addresses this gap with the integrative (or pluralistic) clinician in mind, and approximates a theoretical and practical integration anchored upon the trans-theoretical model.
We use to think that creativity is an attribute that any individual, to a greater or lesser extent, has. In this essay I will try to show that, besides the obvious differences among individuals, every man choose, more or less consciously, to narcotize part of his creative attitude because in some cases it is advantageous for himself and for the species. In order to do that, I will give a working definition of the concept of creativity (§ 1); then, echoing the words of Erich Fromm, I will outline an individual phenomenology of the creative attitude that might allow the reader to recognize a creative behavior when he sees it (§ 2);(§ 3) lastly, I will try to show, through the use of empirical data on man and on non-human primates, what are the advantages for the species and for the single individual of not acting creatively.
Capitalism and Mental Health
(2019)
The psychoanalytical framework developed by Marxist Erich Fromm strongly challenges the dominant biological and individualistic explanations of the mental-health crisis that is now sweeping the globe. Fromm emphasized that all humans have certain needs that must be fulfilled in order to ensure optimal mental health. It follows that capitalism is crucial to determining the experience and prevalence of mental well-being, as its operations are incompatible with true human need.
Propaganda is a centuries-old term, and yet scholars and practitioners are still having a hard time defining it and pinpointing what makes propaganda unique. Many existing definitions fail to distinguish between propaganda and marketing, public relations, advertising, or even mass communications, in general. This essay proposes to define propaganda through psychoanalytical research pioneered by Erich Fromm on symbiotic relations. Symbiotic relations, when transferred from biology to psychology and sociology, describe a process of allowing a person to merge with something big and important, therefore creating meaning beyond an individual’s life. As a result, following its religious roots, propaganda acts similar to religion – asking for a sacrifice of individualism in the name of something bigger – god, country, society, or political party. In the end, people willingly engage in propaganda because, although sacrificing something, they receive unity with the bigger powers of other people, organizations, political parties, countries, and so on. As a result, such persons are not alone against the world; they are now a part of a bigger and stronger union.
This article highlights the psychosocial relevance of Erich Fromm’s concepts of >social character< and >social change< to broaden our understanding of the intergenerational traumatic legacy of neoliberalism. As part of this, it also reflects on the psychosocial significance of other related concepts – namely Pierre Bourdieu’s >habitus< and Raymond Williams’ >structures of feeling< – as ways to also acknowledge their significance when related to each other in emerging research on the neoliberal effects of changes in work and identities. This includes secondary analysis of my own earlier research on the psychosocial ramifications of the loss of stable work, changing worker-gendered identities, disrupted affect, community engagement and historical memory within a global context of insecure labour. This is all understood within a theoretical frame that stresses the emerging neoliberal forms of social character in the aftermath of the massive redundancies and unemployment experienced recently in post-industrial working-class communities in the UK.
The critical theory of the Frankfurt School reached Egypt in 1955, when the Arabic translation of Erich Fromm’s >The Sane Society< (New York, 1955) was published in Cairo. Later, Herbert Marcuse’s >Soviet Marxism< (1958) was translated into Arabic in Beirut in 1965, and with the rise of student protests in France, Germany, and the United States, much attention was given to Marcuse; almost all his writings were translated into Arabic between 1969 and 1973. This article explores the nature of individual >receptions< of the critical theory of the Frankfurt School at Egyptian universities. To this end, it briefly introduces the early generation of the Frankfurt School, as well as the reasons of interest in its fate in Egyptian universities. Though master’s theses and doctoral dissertations do not represent a university’s orientation to critical theory, and at best represent the perspective of their individual authors, this article shows that key individual theses and dissertations testify to an early rejection of the Frankfurt School and to the late adoption of it as a critical paradigm of the transformations in Egyptian society.